


Pages From A Notebook

by The_Anglophile



Category: Britpop - Fandom, Oasis (Band), Richard Ashcroft - Fandom, The Verve
Genre: M/M, Things go better with COKE, Warnings at END of fic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-07-18
Updated: 2013-07-18
Packaged: 2017-12-20 13:39:42
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 11,903
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/887912
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/The_Anglophile/pseuds/The_Anglophile
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"What are you always scribbling away in that notebook for?" Noel is wondering.  Wouldn't he like to know.  I'll tell him it's my lyric book.<br/><i>Being an account of the grand (mis)adventures of one Richard Ashcroft as he spends time with Oasis during the making of their third album.</i></p>
            </blockquote>





	Pages From A Notebook

**Author's Note:**

> **Disclaimer:** The following story is a work of fiction, written for fun and not for profit. I am in no way affiliated with anyone whose name is used in this story, and all real names are employed in an  entirely fictional context. No offence is intended!
> 
>  **A/N:** Ao3 readers, this fic was originally designed to be read in a handwriting font, [CrappyDan](http://www.fontspace.com/download/3876/5ec937ab1d1849e39146451db8ef1627/gaut-fonts_crappy-dan.zip), however, Ao3 does not allow font changes. To read this fic in its original intended form, go find it on LJ. Click on song titles to listen while you read!
> 
> Oasis fans, here is a visual aid in case you need one: [pic of Ashcroft](https://i.imgbox.com/H8u7AyQm.jpg) ... [also](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3FVwCm1u8mA)
> 
>  **Warnings** appear at the end of the fic and contain spoilers.

**Thursday** \- Noel has invited me to AIR Studios where Oasis are working on album #3. Not sure yet what I'm expected to contribute, as he just said I should come down for a few days and added nothing else. I suppose they'll be wanting vocals. Maybe Noel will get me drunk and try to steal my song ideas.

 

 **Later Thursday** \- The band are letting a house within walking distance of the studio, and they've got a spare room which Noel has offered to me. Turns out both Gallaghers have shaved their heads. I very nearly called Noel 'Liam' when he walked out to greet me earlier. They look disconcertingly similar from the corner of one's eye without their hair.

 

 **A little later** \- I guess it's a very good thing I did get Noel's name right, as Bonehead has informed me that the brothers aren't speaking today. Haven't seen hide nor hair of Liam yet. It's a bit like waiting for an elusive jungle cat to make an appearance. I'm practically holding my breath. Dinner's on. Back in a bit.

 

 **Next morning** \- My god. "Dinner" in this universe consists entirely of cocaine. I'll never sleep again. 

Might as well do some writing, I suppose.

I found the band (minus Liam) and various others clustered loosely around a glass coffee table in the front room. Guigs was on the sofa, already in a Buddha-like zen state with an enormous spliff, seemingly the only one not coking it up. Noel was cutting lines from a massive fucking rock of cocaine and he offered the first one to me when he saw me come in. He insisted I sit by him. The line was about as big as one of his eyebrows, and I admit I was a bit hesitant to do it all in one go, but I managed.

Liam finally graced the room with his presence after I'd hoovered up my line. I sat back, seeing stars, and in he walked like God's gift to the world. He pulls that off like no one else can. He must have to fight the girls off with a mic stand or something.

Anyway, after hellos all around (with the exception of Noel) he squeezed in at the coffee table opposite me and demanded a line. Noel ignored him expertly, cutting a line for himself and snorting it up without even looking at Liam. He then passed the razor to the bloke on his other side and put his arm around my shoulders.

At that point I was feeling like we were the two coolest people within five miles, and I turned and told him that. "I know, mate," he said, "we are the fucking bollocks." He squeezed my shoulders a bit. "You're not gonna believe the album I've written. It's like fucking Sgt. Pepper's, but BETTER."

"I'll believe it, cos me and Nick 'ave just written Electric Ladyland Pt. 2."

This was when Liam interrupted and called us shitheads, and I didn't protest because I didn't want to get in the middle of him and Noel's thing, whatever it was. Noel chided him for calling me a shithead, which obviously didn't help the situation.

Liam's face was horrible. Looked like he would rip Noel's head from his neck with his teeth. I decided to get out of harm's way and slipped out of Noel's grasp to go talk with some of the others, who were huddled in a corner. I don't remember what the fuck we talked about, but Noel eventually insinuated himself into our group, leaving Liam to hold court in the other half of the room. Noel started getting really paranoid after a bit, sneaking glances over at Liam & co, who were sneaking glances right back at us. 

"He's trying to fucking ruin this album," Noel whispered to me, indicating Liam with his eyes. "He's going to do something tomorrow, mark my words."

"Do what?" I asked. He was starting to worry me. The other group was looking a bit more devious than they had minutes ago.

"I don't fucking know. He's got summat up his sleeve, though. I can sense it. It's like when he used to put soap on my toothbrush when we were kids. He's got that look in his eye."

"They do look as if they're planning something," I agreed, studying the others, who were huddled together talking in what looked like a very suspicious manner to my beaked-up brain.

"I'm not having any shite from that lot," Noel said, and sniffed. "Will you help me kick him out of the studio tomorrow if he tries to pull anything?" I wasn't sure I wanted to promise that I would kick Liam in any sense. Noel noticed my hesitation.

"Are you in on it?" he said swiftly, his eyes searching me accusingly.

"No! No, no. Look, I don't know what's going on with you and your brother, but don't pull me into it, please."

"You are in on it. You fucking are." Noel was about to get up to storm off in a huff, but I grabbed his arm.

"No, I'm fucking not. I'll help you, all right? I promise." Noel eyed me appraisingly, but remained sat next to me. What I'm able to recall of the rest of the night is much the same as this. Lots of whispering, and snorting, and sneaking around, and convincing Noel I wasn't a spy for Liam. I had to remind him he invited me several times. By the time the sun came up, most of the guests had wandered off outside or gone to drink elsewhere. Guigs was knocked out on the sofa I'd first seen him on, Liam and Bonehead had disappeared together, and I was upstairs with Noel in his room. He was feverishly writing words on a pad of paper, lost in his own universe. He'd suggested we should write an album together, and was really into the idea - so much so that he seemed to have forgotten I was there. I patted him on the head and went out, and I don't think he noticed. I was coming down hard, and I wasn't even slightly sleepy. I went to look for more coke, but it was all gone, so I returned to my room, which is where I am now.

Now that's all out, I think I'm just going to lie on this bed and stare at the ceiling for a couple of hours.

 

 **Later Friday** \- I woke up around 4 pm with a murderous headache from dehydration, and as I dragged myself off to the kitchen for a drink I saw Noel's door was still open. I wondered if he had more coke he'd been hiding from me, but when I looked in I saw him passed out on the floor, pad of paper and guitar next to him. He had a bit of drool running down the side of his face, and I was tempted to take a picture, but I didn't bring a camera with me on this trip.

Guigs was making an omelet in the kitchen and offered me some, but I wasn't hungry and just sipped orange juice. Guigs don't say much, but he's a nice bloke. We discussed last night's experiences a bit, then went to the sitting room and watched TV for what felt like 500 years before anyone else woke up, and when they finally did it was like 'Dawn of The Dead', zombies staggering stupidly about.

Alan appeared, nodding at us and plopping down on the sofa to join us watching the awful movie that was on. Noel was next, and he had the wherewithal to make a pot of coffee, thank god. Bonehead and Liam followed some time later, and immediately set about curing their ills with a little hair of the dog. Bonehead squeezed in with us on the sofa, but Liam hung around the doorway, sipping away and eyeing Noel blankly. I saw Noel give him a glance and then carefully ignore him, as he'd done last night. These two are just as dramatic as the papers make them out to be, I think.

Eventually there was a call from Owen at the studio where everyone but the band was waiting and ready to record. Noel rustled us all up and off we marched up the street. Liam is recording some vocals right now, and the rest of us are hanging around the mixing desk to give him some privacy. He sounds absolutely brilliant. I think this take could be the first and last they'll need. It's incredible.

"What are you always scribbling away in that notebook for?" Noel is wondering. Wouldn't he like to know. I'll tell him it's my lyric book.

 

**Later still** \- It's funny, Noel and Liam work together and communicate just fine on the music, but as soon as it comes time to have a break they're back to giving each other the cold shoulder. Or rather, Noel is back to giving Liam the cold shoulder, and Liam is back to pretending he's not trying to catch Noel's eye. I just don't get it. Why the games? They're so outspoken, otherwise.

I asked Bonehead if he knew what their problem was. He didn't have much of an answer. "Fuck knows, mate. I just try to stay out of their way when they get like this."

"Noel kept trying to get me involved last night," I said.

"Don't let him. Won't end well. Been there, done that, had them both furious at me for a week instead of each other." I decided to keep that in mind.

Well, it's about time for breakfast, or supper, or whatever you call your first meal of the day which occurs at 9 pm. The smells wafting from the canteen are irresistible, and I'm being called. I must go. The last time I ate must have been noon yesterday!

 

 **Even later** \- Well, "breakfast" was accompanied by plenty of bottles. I feel sort of warm and light-headed. Not just from the drink, though, but I'll get to that in a minute.

The brothers are at an impasse, apparently. Liam is supposed to be doing a vocal right now, but he's refused to do it and, unless things have changed since last I checked, he's lying in a corner of the studio with Brian Cannon and a couple hangers-on, drinking like a fish. A couple people have attempted to go in and persuade him to sing, but they've all returned with tales of bottles being hurled and abuse being shouted (well, except for Cannon, who disappeared in there, obviously).

What brought this on? Well, I'm not entirely sure, but here's what happened as everyone was eating.

Me, Noel, and a bunch of others were eating, talking and having a good time for a while in the canteen before Liam appeared, and when he did come in he grabbed a sandwich and a beer and came to sit at our table. He sat across from Noel, next to me. He seemed quite calm at this point.

After a bit of normal conversation amongst ourselves, Noel asked Liam, "How's Patsy?" The look he turned on Liam I couldn't quite read, but it seemed like a challenge.

"She's great, who's asking?" Liam retorted, staring right back at his brother. At this point, the rest of the table had gotten pretty quiet.

"I'm asking," Noel stated flatly.

"What makes it any of your business?"

"It's my business when you start acting like a twat whenever that woman's been with you. She turns you into a right dick."

"Don't you fucking talk about her that way!" Liam shouted, slamming a hand on the table. I was tempted to move away from him, but remained sat tensely where I was.

Noel pointed to Liam's hand and the big, gaudy engagement ring that was on it. "You may as well throw that out. You two won't last."

Liam violently overturned his sandwich plate in Noel's direction, sending lettuce and ham all over the table, shot to his feet so fast that his chair tipped over, and threw his beer glass at the wall, shattering it and spraying everyone with alcohol. His face was painted with pure rage. Everyone but Noel was cowering away from him, and with a furious "FUCK YOU" and a snort he stamped out of the canteen.

Noel began to pick bits of lettuce off his shirt, looking angry and disgusted. "Idiot," he muttered vehemently. I glanced round and saw that most everyone else had resumed eating. Was this such a common occurrence? I looked at Noel, puzzled, then leaned towards him.

"What in God's name was that all about?" I asked quietly.

"Nothing," Noel replied, looking up, "trust me." His expression seemed to forbid any further questions, so I somewhat reluctantly returned to my food. Conversation gradually got back to normal, but I could see Noel was still brooding on what had happened.

After one too many beers I went out of the canteen and found my way to the toilets, but as I was heading back down the corridor to rejoin everyone, I felt a hand on my shoulder. "Oi, Richard." It was Noel. I turned to see what he wanted and very abruptly found our lips pressed together (!). My eyes must have bugged right out. I pushed him back. 

"Whoa, now! What...?" I found myself at a loss for words.

"Don't be a tease, Ashcroft," Noel tutted and pressed forward again roughly, pushing me against the wall and grabbing my neck so he could pull my head in for another kiss. I'd been drunk with him before, and he'd never tried anything like this, so I was quite surprised now; so much so that I just let him kiss me for a minute, at least until he started running his hand over my chest. Too weird! Very flattering and all, but good lord. I twisted out of his grasp and he made a grab at my arse as I skipped out of his reach. "See you in the canteen, Noel," I called over my shoulder. 

Anyway, now we're all lounging around waiting for a Liam-tamer to show up, and that doesn't look very likely to happen. Noel's behaving normally now, thank God. I was worried he'd try to flirt with me in front of the other blokes.

 

**Saturday?** \- I didn't write properly about yesterday, did I? Jesus, look at my handwriting. Anyway, here goes: As a group we decided to abandon Liam at the studio and go do something more useful while he enjoyed his sulk, "something more useful" being scoring and smoking a salad bowl full of draw. Scoring was the easy part, it was smoking all that shite that was a problem! This was top quality weed from one of Guigsy's associates, and smoking it was like being a mosquito that just got sprayed with DDT; you were totally gone. There was so much bloody smoke in that house, it's a wonder we didn't set off the fire alarms. Or maybe someone had already thought of that and disabled them. Probably did, now that I think about it.

Guigs had been in charge of skinning up, being the resident expert, and there was so much of the stuff everyone had their own spliff. I clearly remember lighting up and taking a big hit, but after that I have just a fuzzy memory of lying on the floor for about a decade feeling sunshine pulsing through my arms and legs while my head floated up in the clouds somewhere. I think I was moaning with pleasure, which is kind of embarrassing, but it's not as though anyone would have noticed, I don't think. We were all so fucked up.

As I slowly came to I noticed some genius had put on Magical Mystery Tour. ["Flying"](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ME0iMLRMIO0) was blasting from the TV in the other room and I felt like I was in heaven. I wanted to go watch it, but I couldn't sit up, so I just lay in my hammock of music, feeling the floor swaying beneath me pleasantly. At some point I found where my spliff had fallen and took another hit, and after that one I could barely even see.

Ok, this is odd. Something just came into my head that I'd forgotten til just now. It's just very vague in my mind, but I'm fairly sure it happened. I heard something and opened my eyes, and there was Liam stood over me, at least I think it was him. Could have been Noel, I guess, though how he'd've been walking is beyond me. I smiled a broad, stoned smile at him and he smiled back briefly before stepping carefully through the sea of bodies to pause somewhere just behind my head, out of my view. His leg bumped my head as he knelt down, one of his feet appearing next to my face and I heard what I'm sure was a slow kiss, though I don't know who he was kissing. He stood up again and made his way back through the stoner garden while I drifted out of reality once more.

Some time later (I have no idea how long) I suddenly noticed that Noel was sat next to me, leaning corpselike against the sofa as if it was the only thing keeping him upright (I'm sure it was), and playing with my hair. It felt great. I was much too high to care that he was doing it, and I lay peacefully enjoying the feeling. I opened my eyes and looked up at him when he began tracing my lips with his fingers. "You're pretty," he mumbled in answer to the look I gave him. I told him thank you, though that wouldn't have been the first word I'd've picked for others to describe me with! 

I guess I fell asleep for a while, as I awoke alone in the front room. I could hear some of the others laughing in the sitting room and managed to gain my feet and go find them. They were watching Barbarella now, practically pissing themselves laughing at how awful it was. This was when I recalled that I hadn't seen my notebook for a bit, so I went looking for it, but came away empty-handed. I looked everywhere I could think - under sofa cushions, behind potted plants - and tried asking people about it, though they weren't much help.

"Hey, you could kill a small child with that glare," Noel said to me. He was glued to a big soft chair, well on his way to eating an entire box of Jaffa cakes by himself.

"So I've been told," I grumbled. I couldn't for the life of me think where this damn notebook was, and it contains some precious memories.

"Well point it someplace else. You're freaking me the fuck out," Noel drawled as he slowly munched another cake. His eyes, when visible, were bright red. He had them closed most of the time.

"You're a real help, Noel."

"Man, you need to chill out. Come have a Jaffa cake." I ended up squished into the chair with him while we ate the rest of the box together.

I did find the notebook eventually, as you can see, but only after Liam got a hold of it. I'm not sure if he read it, though. He was probably off his face like the rest of us. Well, now I've got to stop writing as I'm being called to come eat. I think someone said Chinese, and that sounds brilliant to me. Hope there's Mongolian beef!

 

 **Later** \- We're heading back to the studio to get some recording done, and I say "we" because I've been asked to help with the vocals. I'll be backing Liam up on "All Around The World". Ought to be fun!

 

**And later** \- Hmm, I guess Liam's little message in this notebook was a preview of things to come. You'll never believe this, but he tried to pull me tonight. And he succeeded.

We went to the studio and Liam insisted on getting us halfway drunk before he would consider singing a note (not that I complained). When he felt himself to be sufficiently sloshed, he got up and fucking belted it out like he was doing a gig, and I followed suit. Owen had us do a few more takes for good measure after the first one, but I think we nailed it on the first try, as Noel didn't seem very concerned with any of the extra takes. It was mega fun! The song is fucking brilliant, and I can't wait to hear it when it's done. They've had an orchestra in the past couple days to record parts for the album, and for this song, in particular, so it's bound to be "cosmic", as Liam has been saying. Noel and Owen are going to play me back the orchestral stuff and I plan to take notes, as I've been considering orchestration for Verve #3 due to how well it turned out on the last record. I'd like to make more songs in the same vein as ["History"](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UthXR8NAn_Q).

Anyhow, Liam and I were alone in studio for quite a while after, just sitting on the floor drinking and chatting about the album when out of nowhere he said to me: "You've got a great pair of lips on you, Ashcroft."

I was naturally startled and I stalled by taking a long drink from my glass before replying, "Have I?"

He was eyeing me like I was a slice of cake he intended to eat. "Yeah," he said, "bet they'd look great wrapped round me dick."

I blushed furiously and took another drink. Until that moment I hadn't fully realised how attracted to him I actually was, but hearing him say that gave me a hard-on, to be honest. A very confusing hard-on. The small part of my brain that wasn't yet soaked in alcohol was telling me to run, but my dick was telling my brain to shut the fuck up. I sat frozen, unable to decide what to do.

Liam caught my eye, winked, and held up his beer bottle. I watched as he pressed his tongue to it and slowly licked up the length of the neck. He really doesn't beat around the bush much. 

I finally managed a reply. "I could say the same about yours." My heart hasn't pounded that hard in years. I was already imagining, in vivid detail, my dick down his throat.

He has got the most potent, seductive stare I've encountered, and he was using it on me without reserve at this point. I was envisioning us sneaking off to a toilet or a broom cupboard, or something, but as he crawled towards me I soon realised he meant to have me right there on the studio floor. Kind of hard to argue location with him staring me down as he was. I glanced around and spotted a large, expensive-looking rug on the other side of the studio, which looked comfortable enough. It happened to have a grand piano on it, but I was sure we'd fit underneath that just fine. I pointed to it, he looked, nodded, and we got up and went over. 

He surprised me by grabbing my hips from behind and pulling me back against him so I could feel his hard-on. He brushed my hair out of the way and I felt a kiss on the back of my neck, followed by a quick rub of my now very hard dick. Not including that incident yesterday with Noel, the most I'd ever done with another bloke was a bit of snogging and fooling around with Nick, and he's almost like a brother to me, so I found myself a bit lost as to what I should do. I needn't have worried, though; Liam wastes no time. He released me, slapped me lightly on the arse, gave me a naughty smile, and disappeared under the piano. Feeling somewhat dazed, I followed. 

I guess he had an inkling that I didn't really know what I was doing, for as soon as I'd settled down next to him under the piano, his hands were on my flies, deftly undoing the button and zip, and before I quite realised what was happening, my dick was in his warm hands, and he was playing with the foreskin, and kissing the tip, and oh lord. Now the tip was in his mouth and he was sucking away like it was his sole mission in life, jaw working as his tongue pushed and slipped against the head.

Abruptly, he stopped. He pulled his mouth away with a little 'pop' like he'd been sucking a lolly, licked his reddened lips, and came up and kissed me where I lay. His mouth was strong with what could only be my own flavour, and I thoroughly enjoyed the new taste and his powerful kisses. I began stroking his cock through his blue jeans as my own pulsed impatiently.

His lips left mine. "C'mon, Ritchie-boy," he whispered in my ear, "let's feel that pretty mouth." He sat up and flipped himself around so his feet were pointing the same direction as my head, and shifted until his crotch was near my face.

Leaning on an elbow, I smiled and gave his balls a quick squeeze through his jeans before unzipping him and reaching in. His cock jumped when I grabbed it, and he urged me onward when I hesitated, working up my nerve. I got rock-hard as soon as I had him in my mouth. I got to work, pulling and sucking, glancing down at his face while I did so. His eyes met mine, his gaze heavy-lidded and his tongue slipping out to wet his lips as he watched me. I pushed my mouth even further onto him and gave him an especially hard suck, and his face screwed up with pleasure. He moaned softly. 

As I continued, he turned his attention to my aching dick and began licking it all over, every hot swipe of his tongue increasing my discomfort until I could barely stand it. I had to force myself to focus on what I was doing. Finally, he took my dick in his mouth and it was even better than I imagined it would be. It occurred to me that I was in a position I never dreamed I'd be in: 69'ing with Liam Gallagher under a piano. Brilliant. Definitely one to tell the grandkids!

Anyway, he rested his head on my thigh and started doing something amazing with his tongue, so that I couldn't keep quiet any more and moaned around his cock. He loved that, obviously. Despite our location between carpet and furniture, the little sounds we made were amplified by the acoustic perfection of the room, small pornographic echoes bouncing about trying to escape. I had a brief terrifyingly exciting thought that perhaps the recording equipment had been left on, but my thoughts quickly returned to what I was doing when Liam's hips suddenly thrust towards my face, pushing his dick a good two inches extra past my lips. I gagged and pulled back a bit.

Liam gasped. I felt his dick stiffen, and then my mouth was awash in salty bitterness. The taste was a bit of a shock, but I kept sucking until the spasms died down, and then slipped my mouth off his dick. I initially wanted to spit the cum out, but there was no where I could put it that wouldn't've made a potentially embarrassing mess, so I forced myself to swallow it. Liam looked pretty well pleased about that!

I laid my head on his thigh and enjoyed watching him use his mouth on me. He really knew what he was doing, let me tell you! After a minute or two he stopped and pushed me so I was flat on my back, then proceeded to take my entire cock down his throat, glancing at me as he did so. For someone in the middle of a blowie he looked quite smug, and I was doing my best to keep it together at that point, not wanting to choke him with my cum. I watched, riveted, as he pulled off of me, my cock sliding slowly out from between his lips, and that did it for me at last. I came very, very hard.

Liam sucked up every drop, then crawled over to hover with his face above mine, looking down. "Thanks, baby," he murmured, smiling satedly, and leaned down to give me a deep, cum-flavoured kiss, his bitter tongue poking between my lips. When he pulled away, a thick string of my spunk stretched out between our mouths and spattered onto my chin. Liam wiped it up with his thumb, licked it off, then sat back to do up his flies before slowly rising and sauntering out of the studio, catlike. I just lay there under the piano for a bit, catching my breath and trying to wrap my head around what had just happened.

For my first real gay experience, it was brilliant. Ah, Liam. What a man.

 

 **Later still** \- Fuck. This has been the longest Saturday of my entire life. I'm never going to get any sleep, though, the devil's dandruff is making sure of that. 

"Alright, Captain Rock," Noel said in greeting. I responded in kind. I was outside the studio having a smoke, and he sidled up to me and leaned on the wall. "I'm off to score some gear, you comin'?"

"Yeah, sure." Why not, I'd thought. Why not, indeed.

We took a cab on a long ride into a part of town I didn't much like the look of. There was noticeable amounts of rubbish lying around, the buildings all had a layer of dark grit on them, giving everything a faded look, and the people who were skulking about looked like the kind that might knife us for our wallets, or just for fun. Noel had us get out on an empty road and we walked another block before turning onto a dark, dirty street lined with old houses that had been made into flats. A new and expensive-looking, but very gangsterish car was parked out front of one of the buildings, standing out strangely amongst its drab, dilapidated surroundings, and though Noel said nothing, I knew that was where we were heading. Sure enough, he walked us up to the door and pressed the buzzer to one of the flats.

"Yeah?" a male voice drawled.

"We're comin' up for tea, mate," Noel said into the speaker, giving me a quick, amused glance. The door buzzed and in we went. The interior of the house was as dreary as the exterior, dusty and falling apart, and we made our way to the rear of the building, where Noel knocked on a door. 

We entered a sleazebag flat of the kind I'm not entirely unfamiliar with, but Noel greeted the man who opened the door like a lost brother. The bloke was good-looking, but a bit like a bull, meaty and probably dull-witted. He had a shaved head, blonde stubble, and what was probably a genuine diamond sparkling on his left ear. His athletic-style clothes were ostentatiously expensive, with brand names hanging out all over the place, his red trainers just out of the box.

I took note of the decrepit furniture that dotted the sitting room - the sofa was covered in dark stains and looked as if it would collapse in on itself if you so much as looked at it the wrong way, and the three-legged table that was supported at one corner by a cinderblock had clearly been used for nothing but snorting gear, judging by the razor gouges criss-crossing its surface. Real posh establishment. Noel introduced his friend to me. 

"This is me old mate, Gavin, from Manchester. Went to school together, didn't we, lad?" Gavin smiled and nodded. "And I suppose you know this is Richard," he said to Gavin, who replied with a knowing smile, "Aye." We shook hands, then Gavin led us into the kitchen, where he pulled a small bag from a cupboard that contained a good-sized dose of cocaine. From out another cupboard he pulled a glass cutting board. Maybe the lad was a little cleverer than I'd given him credit for, after all. In any case, I was very pleased to see we wouldn't be using the sitting room; I thought I'd probably come away with a venereal disease if I touched that sofa.

I excused myself and went for a piss while some generous lines were being chopped up, and when I came back I found Noel snogging Gavin against the worktop. Gavin's hands were roaming Noel's arse, tugging him closer. I blinked at them for a second before quickly averting my gaze and deciding I should go do a line to give them some privacy. 

"Save some for me, mate," Noel called to me as the first blast went to my head. 

The other two each took a snort as I enjoyed my initial rush, and Gavin decided we ought to have some more and started making some more lines. Noel leaned in close to me and whispered, "He gives me 'alf this stuff for free if I let him kiss me. Can you believe it?" He sounded utterly chuffed with himself. 

I was almost speechless. "I can believe it," I said, suppressing a grin of pure astonishment. So Noel's a cokewhore? What else is new?!

"I'm glad Liam's not here," Noel muttered, his face darkening, "He always has a fucking fit about it. And it's not like he's ever willing to pay for the refreshments, either, tight bastard." I declined to comment, just nodding attentively. Noel didn't mind. He continued on his theme. "You know, I don't think he's even fucking serious about this album. I don't think he cares."

"Why not?"

"He don't listen to a word I say. I've been trying to get him to write some lyrics for a song I wrote, but he won't do it. He just fucking goes out drinking all the time, and spending all my money on drugs," he said, then snorted another line without a trace of irony.

Gavin chimed in. "Ah, he'll grow up, won't he? 'e's young."

"'e'd better," Noel grumbled.

"Well, for what it's worth, he seemed serious about the album when we were doing the vocals," I added. Noel gave me a glum half-smile.

"Seems like everyone but him and me is getting along these days," Noel said, then decided to change the subject. "Tell us about your album, then," he said to me, poking my shoulder.

I embarked on an epic-length description of how I'd convinced Nick to rejoin the band and of all the songs I had written, pausing every so often in my story so the three of us could do more drugs, then pressing on in what must have been mind-numbing detail. I always talk about myself way too fucking much on coke. Gavin eventually had some new customers, at which point Noel and I bid him goodnight and went out. It was in the wee hours at this point and chilly, with some spots of rain coming down, and the sky was a dull orange-black from all the artificial light, everything seeming especially bright after all the gear we'd done. We made it out of the street the house was on after being eyeballed by a bloke who looked like he probably had several knives in his jacket, and Noel phoned for a cab from the nearest phonebooth we found. I crowded in with him, preferring the horrible body-odour stench of the phonebooth to possibly being stabbed in the fresh air.

We stayed in there talking and fidgeting and smoking a cigarette between us until the cab came, then Noel had the driver take us down to Camden where he told me we could go party with some of his mates after he picked up a few things at his favourite nightclub. We'd made it not three yards from where the cab had dropped us when two girls who were pissed off their arses stumbled out of the club in question and nearly bumped into us.

"Ooo! Sorry lads!" one girl blurted with drunken loudness while her friend giggled and clung to her. The friend soon stopped giggling and stared at Noel in open-mouthed confusion.

"Are you 'im?" she demanded, with a comical level of seriousness.

"And who might that be?" Noel asked with mock-innocence, amusement showing around his eyes.

"Don't take the piss! You're HIM," the girl insisted. "Isn't he?!" she asked me. I just shrugged as if I didn't understand, playing along with Noel's game.

"What are you on about," the girl's companion asked her, "He's who?"

"Mr. Eyebrows. You know!" The other looked puzzled for several moments before it came to her.

"Oh! You mean Oasis? Is that him? Are you 'im?" The last bit was once again directed at Noel. He looked like he wanted to burst out laughing. I was biting my lip. The girl spoke again before Noel could respond. "But there are two of them. Are you the other one?" she asked me.

"Yes, actually," I ad-libbed, and put my arm over Noel's shoulders, "This is me dear brother, and if you hang about long enough we might even get into a fight." Noel stifled a snort of laughter and tried to look serious. The girls were just staring at us intently with their mouths hanging open, drunkenly trying to understand the situation. 

"No way," one of them said. "It's really them! That's amazing."

I could see a plan forming in Noel's mind. "We're going to a party, you wanna come with us?" he asked. The girls looked at each other with smiles of excitement.

"Yeh, we do! Let's go!" 

We all stopped in at the nightclub, where Noel had a special arrangement with the bartender, then made off down the road in the direction of the house we were headed for, Noel pulling out a bottle of whisky he'd bought and cracking it open, then handing it to me. We both took a big sip or two or three and soon we were well on our way to being as sloshed as as our companions. I started singing, and Noel quickly joined in, followed by the girls, until the four of us were weaving down the street in high spirits bellowing our lungs out, the girls clinging to Noel and myself for balance. We got to singing football anthems, and as Noel started in with "Who the fuck are Man United?", he jumped up on my back. I laughed and grabbed his legs to hold him up, stumbling a bit, then lurched off down the road at a good clip, Noel roaring away, and the girls giggling and shouting at us to wait.

Quite suddenly, from behind a parked car, out stepped a policeman, and I nearly fell over trying to stop before I ran into him. He frowned.

"Will you, er, dismount, please," he requested, and Noel slid reluctantly down from my back and stood beside me as the policeman gave us a very sceptical once-over. I was wondering if he knew who we were when he answered my question himself. "Ashcroft and Gallagher, I believe?" he said. My heart sank and I hoped he wasn't planning to make an example of us. I looked back for the girls, but they had scarpered at the first sight of a uniform and were nowhere to be seen.

"You know, I could easily arrest you for breaching the peace," said the officer coldly, not remotely charmed.

I thought I was going to spend the rest of my night in a cell, but then the officer's partner showed up, finished with the parking violation. His face lit up visibly when he saw the two of us. I glanced at Noel and he winked, almost imperceptibly. We were saved if we could play this one right. Noel can turn the charm on and off like a tap, as I've discovered, and he turned it on full power right then, his face taking on a friendly, boyish expression, and compared with the scowl he likes to wear usually, it made him look almost harmless. "I must apologise," he said, "We did get a bit carried away."

"We're on our way home," I added as politely as I could, "We'd rather not be any bother to you."

The grouchy officer still looked sceptical. He pointed to the bag Noel was holding. "What's in there? Let's have a look."

Noel held the bag up and opened it for the officers to look inside. The nicer one shone his torch in and they rooted around in it a bit, clearly looking for drugs. Finding none, the grouchy one turned to his partner and said, "I think we should search them." Noel glanced at me, worry showing around his eyes.

The other officer didn't seem totally on-board with the concept. "Nah, let's give them a break this time. They're not exactly being rude and disorderly, are they?"

The grouchy one considered this for a moment. He looked tired and as if he wanted to just get some sleep, which I hoped would work in our favour. “All right,” he finally assented, “But I don’t want to see this kind of nonsense round here again,” he added to us.

The nicer officer then surprised me by turning to me and saying, “Hate to trouble you, but could I 'ave an autograph?” He produced a pen from his pocket and began to dig for some paper.

I blinked in surprise, then quickly replied, “Sure, yeah.” I ended up signing the back of a parking ticket, and with a barely-suppressed grin the officer wished us a good evening and guided his less-pleased partner off down the street. Noel and I watched them go until they crossed the road and headed in another direction, then we scuttled off towards our destination, keeping our heads decidedly down.

"Wasn't looking through your bag technically a search?" I wondered.

"Yeah, it was," Noel confirmed, his expression sour, "But when you have a famous face the fuckers tend to forget little things like that."

Our encounter with the police had brought the mood down quite a lot and we walked quietly for a bit before Noel spoke up again. "You know, you saved our arses, mate," he said to me, and I gave him a questioning look.

"How do you mean?"

He looked round, then discreetly reached into his jacket and showed me the coke he'd stashed there!! I almost had a heart-attack.

"What the fuck, Noel!" I hissed at him. "Are you fucking mad?!"

"Shut up, we got away with it, didn't we?" His eye were sparkling with mischief. 

I shut my eyes for a moment and took a deep breath, then grabbed him round the neck with one arm, rubbing my knuckles into his fuzzy head. "You are fucking mental! Out of your God-damn mind," I told him. I tried to glare, but we just grinned at each other, then burst out laughing.

After we got to the party house, the morning is hard to remember. There was a lot more alcohol and drugs, and I do recall several very friendly women. I know I fell asleep after a while, as I woke up on the floor with my face next to a fucking orange puddle of sick, which I'm fairly sure wasn't mine. A woman I didn't know was curled up against my back. As I came further awake, the smell got to me and I eventually got up and went to be sick myself out in the garden, then explored the drowsy house in search of Noel. People were either passed out, asleep, or just lying around talking quietly to each other, and I finally found him slouched in front of a record player with a couple people I vaguely recognised, looking beyond exhausted and listening to Screamadelica. ["I'm Coming Down"](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A-EqwHrT-AQ) was just finishing and Noel reached out to put the needle back to the beginning of the song. He looked up and greeted me with a nod, tossed a pillow at me, and pointed to the floor. The song was absolutely perfect for how I was feeling at the moment, and I gladly collapsed back onto the floor, resting my head on the pillow and letting the waves of sound wash over me. Noel's hand found its way into my hair again and I shut my eyes and drifted for a couple million years. 

We're finally back at the house by the studio, now, and I can't get back to sleep. The broad daylight isn't helping, nor is the sound of Bonehead and Liam singing at the tops of their lungs downstairs. I think I might ask Marcus if he can get me some sleeping pills.

 

 **It's got to be Sunday at this point** \- When I woke up this evening, I could hear what sounded like another party getting into gear downstairs. What little sleep I'd gotten had made me feel miles better and I hurried to shower and get dressed, ready for more of whatever would come. I made my way down and found the front room and the kitchen packed with people, including a bunch of Brian Cannon's mates and everybody's girlfriend or wife, so I waded in to say hello. 

I kept an eye out for Noel as I made my rounds, wondering how he'd fared after yesterday's excess. I imagined he was probably upstairs gargling some cocaine and rubbing hash in his armpits to get ready for the day ahead; he seems just about impervious to any kind of substance. I think he mentioned to me that he and Liam did E's for breakfast for a week-and-a-half, once. I can relate! Never going there again, though - I've done enough E for a couple lifetimes, and it's fucked me well up, to be frank.

Anyhow, Noel finally came in after a bit, looking groggy, and he didn't seem well pleased to find such a mob hanging about. I caught him giving Liam an icy stare, which Liam expertly ignored in favour of kissing Patsy ostentatiously. Seemed likely that this lot were here on Liam's invitation, then, based on Noel's reaction. He disappeared into the kitchen and returned with a beer, just standing sipping and looking grouchy at the edge of the room for a bit, then he pulled himself to his full height and gave a shout to get everyone's attention.

Once everybody had quietened down and had looked his way, he announced to all the guests that this was the final night of recording - you can imagine the hulabaloo this set off. Liam and Bonehead immediately started planning what they would do afterwards to celebrate, but Noel interrupted them and basically ordered Liam to get his arse down to the recording studio and get the work done. Liam stared at him like he was reciting poetry in Latin, and then turned to address the room at large. 

"Right, who wants to sing?" he asked. The room roared. Noel sighed and pursed his lips, but seemed satisfied enough with this development, as he didn't step in to cancel the party. He had to get a shot in, though.

"You think you can handle it on your own, then?" he challenged Liam.

"I'll fucking handle it better than you ever could," Liam shot back.

"Oh yeah?" Noel retorted, getting his face right up in Liam's, "Fucking prove it, then. I don't want to see your face round here until the album's done." For a moment, I thought they would start laying into each other, but then Liam’s face brightened into a slight sneer of a smile.

“You fucking won’t,” Liam said with aggression to equal Noel’s, not backing away from his brother, “An’ you won’t see me for the next three days, either, cos we’ll be out ‘avin’ it large, right?” This last bit earned more cheers and whoops from the assembled crowd. He turned and addressed them directly. “Right?” he encouraged, waving his hands for more noise. They obliged.

Noel looked satisfied then, and I realised that he hadn’t been annoyed at all, he’d just been winding Liam up. I didn’t have much time to think on that, though, as Liam came over and clapped me on the shoulder, giving me a mildly flirty smile. "You comin', Ashcroft?" he wondered.

"Of course I am," I told him, “Wouldn’t miss it.”

"Ah, good, I thought you might stay here with that old bag," he said, jabbing a thumb at Noel, who was now talking with Meg.

"He's not coming?"

"Nah, 'e's taking the night off, or whatever." The last word was said with some acidity and a side-eyed glance at Noel.

“I reckon he deserves it, though.”

Liam raised an eyebrow. “You got that same lazy-arse attitude, don’t yer? Sit around for a year or two between records. Fuck that.” He said it with a smile.

“Lazy-arse? We’ll see who’s a lazy-arse when the albums are out, yeah? This is the year of the Verve,” I taunted.

Liam scoffed good-naturedly. “Not fucking likely. Come on, let’s get out of here before I catch one of Noel’s mood swings.” He slung an arm over my shoulder and we headed out for the studio, the others gradually following like iron filaments after a magnet. We were to do a number of extra takes for the backing to [All Around The World](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0yzMwsLooXE), as Noel was set on creating a massive sound, and Liam explained the concept to me as we walked, gesturing broadly to express the sheer size of the song as it would be when finished. 

The recording space itself is cavernous, like a small cathedral, almost. High, distant ceilings to contain big sounds and make them bigger still. In fact, it seems definitely to have been a church at some point, judging by the enormous pipe organ set into the wall, and the stained glass that can be found here and there. Mics were set up and things turned to a party atmosphere very quickly after the introduction of drinks; it felt more like a sing-along at the pub than a proper album recording session. The song was played back for us as we got sloshed, with Liam demonstrating where to come in and how the backing vocals ought to go. For all his general arsing about, when it comes down to it he's really quite dedicated to the music, and he made sure everyone got the vocal down before signalling the first take to begin.

We were all given earphones and arranged in a loose cluster about the mics, with myself and the other skilled singers placed a bit closer to the centre. Liam had the engineers play the song back from the beginning again and encouraged us to sing along with him to get warmed up, and considering the tune is only 20 seconds short of ten minutes, we had plenty of time to prepare for our big moment. I'm already hooked on this song, and I bet it gets edited down to a single, cos it is amazing. Liam's voice is on fire. He sounds like a roaring lion.

The first take was mainly just to record Liam by himself, doing some extra vocals to fill out the end of the song, and he waved at us to shut up when it was his turn to sing. He was about mid-way through when his face suddenly lit up and I knew he'd had a moment of inspiration when on the next beat he shouted, "Please don't cry, never say die!" It was completely perfect, and I grinned in his direction, though he was too lost in the music to even notice me. Noel'll be green he didn't write that line himself.

I was feeling ready to conquer the world by the time we got to the end of the first take, everyone having joined in on the La La La's and Na Na Na's, and I knew Liam felt the same by the blissed-out expression he was wearing. His eyes were shut, his arms relaxed behind his back, and he was belting out his brother's music like it's what he was born to do, which, really, it is. I got in close to Liam's mic and everyone commenced with the second take of backing vocals as one, filling the hall with sound, Liam growling out some incredible harmonic Na Na Na's (he's an expert at making those sound cool instead of like silly nonsense!).

Only moments after he'd finished his phrase, Liam bent over and puked, making a great big horrible splatter right on the wood floor. The sight nearly made me want to vomit as well, but I held onto my stomach and dodged the sick as well as I could on my slightly wobbly legs. After that Liam just stood right up, wiped his mouth on his sleeve, turned back to the microphone, and kept bellowing away. The lad's made of cast-iron, I'm telling you. We polished off the next half-dozen takes without any further messes being made, and everyone cheered like it was the end of a glorious football match when the last strains of the song died away. Guigs and Bonehead up in the control room were Morris dancing and gesticulating wildly to us. A very drunk Patsy kissed Liam and then Liam grabbed me round the neck and gave me a smelly, wet kiss on the cheek. "Mega, totally mega," he said as he hung on to me, finally sounding a bit breathless and tired now that the work was done. He was positively glowing with pleasure.

It's probably a good thing Liam emptied his stomach, as directly after we'd finished up in the studio it was decided a celebratory pub-crawl was in order. Liam had a bit of coke on him that he shared with me in the toilets before we left, and the lot of us piled into several cabs and zipped off into the city to look for a watering hole, some of our number already sky-high in more than one sense. We'd just gotten into the pub when Marcus handed me his mobile phone. I looked at him questioningly. "Noel wants to speak to you." Handy things, these mobile phones. I'll probably get one eventually.

"Richard?"

"Yeah."

"Where you lot at?"

"Some pub or another. The Holly Bush? I imagine we'll be at another in half an hour. You coming down?"

"Nah. The album's fucking finished, man! I feel like I just gave birth. I need some peace. Come back to the house, won't you, you're the only lad with a brain in that bunch."

I thought about it for a moment, looking over at Liam who was already loudly toasting Oasis by the bar. An enthusiastic chorus of voices roared back at him. I wouldn't be missed. I smiled and said to Noel, "Yeah, alright. Be there in a few."

I gave Marcus his phone back, begged a few quid off him for a cab, and headed back to the house. As the streetlamps flashed by, I thought about all the new music I'd heard from Oasis, and thought about my own writing as well. I've hit a new peak, recently, with my music. I'm sure our new album will convince everyone that The Verve are every bit as good as Oasis. Noel won't know what hit him.

When I reached the house Noel led me into the kitchen where he'd made a couple sarnies and we shared them and discussed how Noel was planning to mix the album. He was on a big Phil Spector kick and told me how he wanted to create a wall of guitars that could knock you off your feet. I told him what Nick was up to with our latest album and I think he got some ideas, but I'll just have to wait and see once Oasis, Part 3 is out.

After a bit he said to me in an offhand way, "Say, I've got a couple new tunes I've been working on, you wanna hear 'em?"

I think my surprise showed on my face. "Yeah, definitely." I have never ceased to be amazed at his energy for his work. The Beatles comparisons aren't inaccurate - the man is prolific. He never fucking stops writing music!

He led me to his room where we sat on the bed and he played me three new, half-finished songs he'd been plugging away at while Liam had been finishing his vocals. The songs were predictably exciting even in their rough form. Noel hasn't got Liam's singing voice, but his voice is better than he reckons it is, I think. Once he'd gone over the songs a few times in different tempos and styles, he persuaded me to do the vocals for him while he played, and I improvised and fucked the words up a lot, and we fell about laughing a couple times. I've still got the lyrics running through my head right now, actually.

Once he'd showed me his new stuff, he demanded to hear some of mine, so I took the guitar from him and ran through my [favourites](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r2vGa-yLiso) out of the ones I've been writing for Verve #3. He's always got a clever comment, but not when music's happening, and he just sat back and absorbed the tunes as I played, making impressed noises and joining in on the choruses occasionally. I could tell I'd impressed him when he didn't even have any witty remarks once I'd finished. He just sat there for a moment then said to me, "Richard... that was fucking brilliant." He took a sip of his beer, then joked, "If you weren't already recording those, I'd be lifting your melodies for my own stuff."

"Yeah, well, you better watch out," I retorted, "I've got your new ones memorised, and I've been needing some B-sides."

“You dick,” he said amiably, "I'll have you know that my B-sides are legendary."

I smirked and handed the guitar to Noel, then got up to grab my drink from the bedside table while he strummed chords aimlessly. As I finished off my can of beer, I felt his hand slip between my thighs and slide up to rub the crotch seam of my trousers. It sent an exciting chill up my back and I froze in my tracks as his hand slid back down my inner thigh, then pulled away. I took a deep breath and turned round to face him where he sat on the bed. On his face was that look Liam had been giving me before we'd had our adventure under the piano, but this was the Noel version, which was I guess a little more subtle. Maybe it was more inviting than predatory? Hard to say.

My curiosity was aroused. Things were different now than they had been when he'd first kissed me, and now I was interested in sticking around to see what would happen. It's not like anyone would walk in on us. We stared at each other a moment or two, then I took his guitar from him, rested it against the table, and returned the kiss he'd started a few days ago. 

It began innocently enough, soft, first-date kisses, then he started biting and sucking at my lower lip, and one of his hands came up to grab the collar of my shirt. He lay back on the bed, pulling me down onto him, spreading his legs like a horny girl so I could lie between them. Never in my weirdest imaginings had I ever pictured myself in this position with him. It's been a mind-warping several days.

I shifted against him to get in a better position for kissing and a slight smile spread over his face at the friction. I pressed my mouth to his once more and we had a good, hot snog, and soon enough I could feel his hardening cock pressing against my lower belly through our clothes. Feeling him under me was getting me good and hard, too, and I started rubbing my hips against him a bit as we kissed. He wrapped his arms tight round me, running his hands up under my shirt, his rough fingertips scratching my back. Soon enough he was tugging my shirt up, and we both sat up and worked at my buttons. 

"Christ, you're one skinny fucker," he remarked once my shirt was off. I'm told that a lot, and I ignored his comment in favour of pulling his t-shirt up over his head and tossing it on the floor. I lowered myself back onto him, enjoying the heat of his skin on mine while I kissed him. I quickly got back to humping him, and he curled his body against me, legs splaying till we were positioned just right for a good fuck. He ran his hands over my arse. "I want you inside me" he said in my ear. That sent a new thrill of lust through me and I found I was only too happy to oblige. I raised myself off him and stood up, quickly dropping my trousers and pants. He undid his flies and I tugged the rest of his clothing off, feeling a little shock of excitement to see his dick full and straight just for me.

I climbed back onto the bed and got into position while he grabbed a pillow and put it under his arse. He spread his thighs wide again, the look on his face nearly demanding that I climb on and ride him. It made me unbearably hard to look at him like that. I knew I would come too quickly if I tried to fuck him immediately, so I stroked his thighs with both hands, running one hand up to caress his balls and hard-on, and sliding the other down between his arse cheeks to finger him a bit. I realised we were missing something. 

"Eh..." I said, feeling a bit awkward, "d'you have any--"

He read my mind. "Nah, I like it rough. Just use your spit."

I wasn't too sure about that, but I did as he suggested and leaned over him on both hands, poking around a bit until with a few sharp thrusts my dick found its way in. Noel inhaled sharply through his nose. He looked like he was in pain, but he'd said he liked it that way so I didn't back off. I couldn't believe how it felt once I was inside his body, and I quit thrusting and held very still, shutting my eyes. "Oh... jesus."

"Just take it slow," he murmured, "and think of fat people, if that helps. Always helps me."

I burst out laughing at his advice, and that did the trick. My erection eased off a bit and I didn't feel quite ready to blow anymore. It was still an amazing sensation. Every little movement of my hips or his sent an intense pulse of pleasure through my groin. I tentatively got going again, and I could feel Noel relaxing beneath me with each shallow thrust, his breaths deepening and the resistance of his body gradually decreasing as our perspiration smoothed the way a bit. 

"You can go deep, you know," he panted to me, "I'm not fragile."

Don't mind if I do!

I worked up a lot of spit and swiped the fingers of one hand with my tongue, gathering as much as I could, and then slicked it around my cock where it entered him. I twisted my hips a bit and slowly worked my way in. Noel's eyes shut and his mouth dropped open a little as I kept at it, and by the time I was balls-deep he was groaning and rubbing his dick with his hands. That really got me going to see him loving it so much, and I pressed myself down onto him and really went to town, fastening my mouth to his neck as I fucked him. He curled once more into that perfect position, legs spread wide, arms holding me tight against him, and he was groaning and panting in my ear all the while, the vibration of his voice buzzing through my chest. 

I guess he could tell by my breathing just how I was feeling, as soon he said softly, "Come inside of me." When I heard that I couldn't hold my orgasm back any longer, and I came hard, my hips jerking into him while I gave him a good hard bite at the join of his neck and shoulder. He writhed and gasped with pleasure under me and the sounds fed straight into my orgasm.

He wasn't there yet, though, and I wanted him to come while I was still inside of him, so I sat up a bit and grabbed his cock, roughly jerking him off. His face, when soft with lust, made him look really surprisingly like Liam. It was sort of surreal. He met my eyes and I pressed my cock into him as deep as it would go, and that did it for him. He came, the first spurts making it to his chest, the rest running down my hand. I flopped down next to him on the bed when he was done, wiping my hand across his chest. He didn't give a shit and just sighed with satisfaction.

We both lay breathing heavily for a bit, then he turned his head and said to me, "That was better than a night out on the piss, yeh?" He smiled. 

"Much," I agreed. "You know, I never thought I'd shag you, of all people."

"Well, I'm clearly irresistible." He gave me a deadpan expression.

I rolled my eyes. "I'm not even gay."

"Neither am I. That's never stopped me having fun."

I laughed. "Good way to look at it."

"It is," he agreed, as if it were a self-evident truth, and rolled over to give me another snog. This one was lazy and slow and relaxing, and my post-orgasm satisfaction started to send me quickly into dreamland, but I was jarred awake by Noel's hand shaking my shoulder.

"Best get to your own bed, mate," he advised. "The rest of this band is liable to come sneaking around causing mischief while we're sleeping."

"Right," I said, and reluctantly hauled my arse out the bed. I gathered my clothes from the floor, and wished Noel a good night, then went to my own room. And here I am now, writing, since yet again I couldn't sleep once I got here. I think I'll try again now I've written all this down. I am fucking knackered. 

 

 **Monday** \- I woke up today totally unaware for a moment or two of where I was or what I'd been doing the night before. You can imagine my surprise when the memories came flooding back. I felt almost shy to leave my room and go look for food, and when I encountered Noel again my mind's eye was filled with the image of him as he was last night. I'll never be able to see him the same way again. He was sat at the kitchen table, looking bright and fresh and reading a newspaper; he'd clearly been up a while. A half-dead-looking Liam was sat across from him, resting his head on the table, arms in his lap, eyes shut. 

"Good morning," Noel said warmly upon seeing me. "How did you sleep?"

"Very well indeed." I smiled at him.

He smiled back. "Me too."

I caught Liam giving us a look, eyebrow raised, but he soon shut his eyes again. I wonder if either of them realises his brother is into men? I guess Liam does, if he read this notebook, which he may very well have done. It would be pretty funny, though, if they were both trying to hide it from each other. I feel kind of dirty now when either of them looks at me, and I hope I don't get any other offers from this band any time soon, as I believe I've had my fill of men for the year!

I wished Liam a good morning, giving his shoulder a light squeeze, and got an unintelligible mumble in reply - I think he was disputing my statement that the morning was good, as I saw Noel give him a censorious glare over the top of his paper. I then browsed around the kitchen and found some cornflakes and milk, and recent-enough coffee, and sat at the table with the pair of brothers, eating slowly, letting my brain wake up. 

Liam eventually opened his eyes and rested his chin on his folded arms, staring groggily at Noel. After a while Noel looked up from his paper and met Liam's gaze. They spent at least half a minute staring into each other's eyes, seemingly oblivious to my presence. Liam was searching Noel's face intently and Noel's expression changed slightly as he looked back at his brother - it looked to me like the coldness of the past several days was melting right out of him. By the time they were finished with their staring match I felt as though I had just listened in on a private conversation, and I sheepishly glued my eyes to my food, though it was clear neither of them minded my being there. 

Once I'd finished eating, I went and had a shower and decided it was time to go home and recover. What a fucking mental weekend it's been. I don't think I slept more than 12 hours total what with all the coke we did, and I've probably lost half a stone from not eating. Liam was just heading upstairs to bed as I was coming down, and he stopped me on the landing and gave me a big hug and a kiss on the cheek and told me he was 'fucking mad fer' the new Verve album and that I should send him a copy as soon as it was done. I agreed and wished him a good sleep, then made my way to the kitchen to say goodbye to Noel. He walked me to the door, informing me that he was going to drop by the studio sometime and bug me while I worked, giving me a hug and letting me out onto the front step.

"Did Liam go upstairs?" he asked. I gave the affirmative and he smiled and gave me a nod in farewell. "Later, mate," he said. And that was fucking that. 

I don't know if I should tell Kate about everything that happened during this little adventure. I'm not sure if she would consider what I did cheating, but either way I don't think she would be especially impressed that her husband went a bit gay over the weekend and bagged both Gallaghers. I guess I'll have to decide before this cab ride is over!

  


 

~ 

**Author's Note:**

> WARNINGS: heavy illegal drug use, heavy alcohol use, mild/moderate violence, implied consensual age-peer incest, mild voluntary prostitution
> 
> If you enjoyed the pairings in this story, you'll probably dig this amazing art (not by me): [Richard/Noel/Liam (NSFW)](https://starsail.tumblr.com/post/139709694238/blueyoy-%E3%85%8B%E3%85%8B%E3%85%8C%E3%85%8C%E3%85%8C%E3%85%8B%E3%85%8C%E3%85%8C%E3%85%8B-so-hot#notes)  
>    
> P.S. Comments encourage me to write more!
> 
> P.P.S. Read the complete collection of my Oasis fic (including the R and NC-17 ones that won't be posted to Ao3) at my archive: <http://the-anglophile.dreamwidth.org/669.html>


End file.
